


Garrett's Surprise Party

by scarecrowstories



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Birthday Party, Family Fluff, Fluff, Multi, One Big Happy Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-06
Updated: 2017-04-06
Packaged: 2018-10-15 06:35:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10551704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarecrowstories/pseuds/scarecrowstories
Summary: For FenHanders week 2017, day 3. Both twins and Varania survived, and the six of them are one big happy family. Years after Kirkwall when they've settled down, they decide to throw a surprise birthday party for Garrett.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Okay honestly this is just some pointless schmoopy nonsense but I crave this AU so badly? So I hope y'all enjoy it. I'll update the multi-chap fic soon, but I'm moving in about a week so sorry for the delay on that! This fic can also be found on my writing blog, scarecrowstories.tumblr.com. Thanks for reading!

It was going to be a busy but exciting day, Anders thought as he watched Bethany finish wrapping Garrett's birthday present. Fenris had promised to keep him out of the house from after lunch until the evening so they could prepare the surprise party, and since his birthday wasn't technically until the following day he likely wouldn't suspect a thing. 

The plan was to clean the house and make some of his favorite foods while Fenris kept him distracted in town. Anders and Carver were doing the cleaning, while Varania and Bethany took care of the food. They'd also each gotten him something small as a present. It had taken a while for them to find somewhere they felt comfortable enough to settle down since they were a conspicuous group of six, half of whom were mages, so they didn't have much. But they had one another, and they were a family. The presents didn't matter nearly so much as that.

"I bet he knows all about this and is just playing along," Carver grumbled as he swept. "He's always just been like that, he's too damn nice to say anything and ruin the fun."

Anders chuckled. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It's not bad, just annoying! You wouldn't be annoyed if all this effort turned out to be for nothing?"

"Not at all," Anders pleasantly responded. He resumed wiping the windows down with a wet cloth. "He'd still be happy because he knows we love him. And it'll still be a nice evening."

Carver opened the front door and swept the dirt out. "Yeah, I guess." Then there were a few moments of silence, before Carver continued. "It'll be nice to take his mind off of things for a while. Shame the others couldn't come."

Anders nodded. They hadn't been expecting the rest of their friends from their Kirkwall days to drag themselves to the middle of nowhere halfway across the Free Marches, but he had to admit that it would've been fun. They wrote to one another often, but visits were rare. The war between the mages and Templars had mostly wound down by now, and only Anders still avoided going in to the nearby town by himself. For the most part their life together was peaceful.

Looking at them all working together to make another family member happy warmed his heart. He remembered having a few siblings, but since he'd been the oldest he doubted that they remembered him. He tried not to think much about what became of the family he was born into; this one was much kinder anyway. And besides, he had three new siblings.

"You've got that look again," Carver said.

"What look?" he answered, brought back from his thoughts.

"That sappy one you make whenever we all get together." Hearing even Carver admit that they were a family only made him more emotional. "There, that one!"

At that moment Bethany cut in, having walked in on their conversation, "Can you blame him? In the circle you think you'll never have a family again. You can't possibly imagine it; it's awful." She smiled at Anders and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad we're able to have this. It's not what I ever expected, but I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Save the emotional speech for your brother," Anders said, smiling back. That's when he noticed Varania standing in the entryway of the kitchen, observing rather than joining in. It was still difficult for her to socialize with them sometimes, even years later, but at least she appeared comfortable. She always had more trouble adjusting to freedom than her brother had had, which Anders figured was due to her being a mage in a culture where that was essentially criminal. "How's the baking going?" he asked, hoping asking a question would encourage her.

"It's going well," she said, taking a few steps closer to them and briefly making eye contact with Bethany. "I heard what you said about the circle," she started, glancing aside before holding her head up more confidently. "I'm grateful we've all found a way to be free together. I don't think any of us expected this, but what we have is good and I would not trade it for anything."

Her determined eyes and pose reminded Anders of Fenris. "I'm glad we all feel that way. I view you three as my younger siblings," he said. "Now we'd better get all this done before they get back or it won't be much of a party." There was an energy in the air that filled him with happiness. They were all focused on various household tasks which on a normal day could easily be seen as a necessary inconvenience. Today, however, they worked toward a singular goal: making it an enjoyable evening for the family.

When everything was finished, they all scrambled to find suitable hiding places. Both Anders and Carver, being as tall as they were, had difficulty finding a spot that would conceal them sufficiently. None of them knew how long they were going to be waiting, only that evening was approaching and Fenris had promised to stall him as long as possible to maximize their time. Eventually they heard two sets of approaching footsteps and the barely audible murmur of conversation.

As soon as the door opened they all jumped out and shouted "Happy birthday, Garrett!" before laughing as he jumped back in shock. Fenris was bright-eyed and grinning, watching as Garrett looked from the room to him, realization dawning.

"So this is why you insisted on trying on so many blasted pairs of boots!" he lovingly accused, now also smiling as he brought a hand to is forehead. "Oh Maker, yes, you win, you all got me." He stepped inside, closing the door after Fenris entered, and looked directly at Bethany. "I'll bet anything this was your idea."

She raised her hands as if in defense, sarcastically replying, "Not me, I'd never dream of trying to pull one over on Garrett Hawke."

Playing along, he nodded. "Right, right, so who, then? Varania? I always knew you had a bit of fun in you." 

"You've caught me," she said, crossing the room to grab his arm. "Let's go, there's good food and presents to be had."

"I get presents? You all spoil me," Garrett said, giving Anders a kiss on the cheek as he allowed himself to be pulled towards the kitchen.

The others soon followed, Anders lingering to watch before joining them. He was still thinking about how true Bethany's earlier words were: he really never expected to have a family again, let alone one like this. Sure he'd spent years trying to escape in desperation, but then he'd craved freedom more than anything else. His first few years in Kirkwall, too, he hadn't thought he'd be able to have anything like this.

When he entered the kitchen, Garrett was sitting with the twins on either side of him, with Fenris and Varania sitting together across from him. Fenris looked back at Anders and gestured to the empty seat beside him, moving it so he could sit. "Good job, love," Anders whispered, kissing Fenris on the forehead before sitting. "Did he get suspicious at all?"

Fenris shook his head, mischief in his eyes. "Not a thing. Thank you for handling the less pleasant end of things."

"No worries, that's what family's for, right?"

"That's the look, for the record," Carver interrupted, making Bethany giggle and Varania fail to conceal a smirk.

"Oh not this again," Anders said, rolling his eyes.

"Fenris and Garrett make it too if it makes you feel any better," he added.

At that, Garrett pressed a fist to Carver's shoulder in a mock-punch. "Don't drag me into whatever it is you're talking about!"

"Don't worry about it, it's just your average sibling teasing, is all," Bethany assured. Varania and Carver nodded, which seemed to placate the others. "See? Now hush and open your presents so we can eat!"

Anders reached to hold Fenris' hand under the table. He wouldn't have it any other way.


End file.
